K
KEEL
keeled, keeled, keeling
I
keel over
I
to fall over sideways, especially because you
feel weak or unsteady: He looked as ifhe was
ready to keel over from exhaustion.
I
May was
laughing so much that she keeled over onto
the sofa.
KEEP
kept, kept, keeping
keep after
I
keep after
[ill
to ask someone again and again to do some-
thing until they do it: Tony s children and rel-
atives kept after him to stop drinking.
*
SIMILAR TO:
keep on at
1
I
keep atl~
spoken
to continue to do something, although
it is difficult or hard work: How long do you

I
If
1
were you I'd keep away from
that area at night.
*
SIMILAR TO:
stay away
2
I
keep
I
sblsth
I
away
I ~I
k-e-e-p-a-w-a-y~
to prevent someone or something from going
near a person or place: Rub the liquid on your
skin to keep mosquitoes away.
267
KEEP
+
from Mom kept us away from school for a
week.
I
To avoid danger of suffocation, keep
plastic bags away from babies and children.
3
I

to prevent someone or something from mov-
ing forward or going past a particular place:
The organizers have put up barriers to keep
back crowds.
I
He had a white rag, which he
tied around his head to keep his hair back.
*
SIMILAR TO:
hold back
3
I
keep
I
sth ~
I
keep back
I~
to keep part of something instead of using it
all immediately, or giving it all to someone
else, so that you have it to use later: I man-
aged to keep back a couple of cases of beer,
just for our own use.
I
While the women spent
everything on their families, men typically
kept money backfor themselves.
4
~sthlbackl
to deliberately not tell someone all that you

6 ]
keep
I
sb
I
back]
to make someone stay after class, especially
in order to talk to them: After the first class
the teacher kept me back and said, ':4re you
really sure you want to be a dancer?"
7
I
keep
Isbl
back
I
to make someone stay at the same level, and
not let them progress to a higher level, for
example because you do not think that their
work is good enough: Mick was kept backfor
a year at college after he failed all his exams.
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
KEEP
keep down
• 1
keep
IstEI
down
I I
keep down

keep down
@El
to succeed in keeping food in your stomach
after eating it, instead of bringing it up again
out of your mouth, especially with difficulty
because you are ill: He drank some of the
medicine, but he couldn't keep it down.
I
Anna
was feeling much better - she'd managed to
keep down the bread she'd eaten.
*
SIMILARTO:
hold down
• opposm: bring up
5
I
keep down[ill ~I
sb
I
downI
to keep people under strict control or limit
their freedom in an unfair way: Women have
been kept down for far too long.
I
an oppres-
sive society in which people from ethnic
minorities were kept down
*
SIMILARTO:

268
keep from shouting.
I
He tried to keep himself
from getting too tired .
'.' I
keep @Elfrom [ill
to prevent someone from knowing some-
thing, by deliberately not telling them about
it:
The government had wanted to keep this
information from the public.
I
Ifelt that he was
keeping something from me.
*
SIMILARTO:
withhold
formal
1 Ikeep@>lin]
especially BrE
to make someone stay in a place,
especially as a punishment: The children had
behaved so badly that the teacher kept them in
at lunchtime.
2
I
keep
I
sb

There
was a sign saying, 'Keep off the grass.'
2
I
keep
I
sblsth
[Off
I
sth
I
to prevent someone or something from going
onto an area of land, a road etc: Please could
you keep the children off the flower beds.
I
Rain kept both teams off the pitch
for
long
periods.
I
The government hopes that improv-
ing public transport will keep more cars off
the roads.
3~lkeep~
I
keep off
I
sth
I
to prevent something from touching or

programme is aimed at keeping teenagers off
drugs.
7
I
keepoff~
especially BrE
to avoid talking about a par-
ticular subject, especially because it might
upset someone: I think we ought to keep off
the subject of personal relationships.
I
Maud
tried to keep off political subjects to avoid any
arguments.
*
SIMILAR TO:
avoid, stay off
8 ~
Ikeepoff~
if you keep weight off, you do not get
heavier again after you have lost weight: It's
usually easier to lose weight than to keep it
off.
I
Sussman has now kept off twenty-jive
pounds for five years.
• OPPOSIn:
put on
9
I

felt really ill, but I kept on because
everyone else was doing it.
keep on with sth If it continues to rain, the
players won't be able to keep on with the
game.
*
SIMILAR TO:
continue, carry on
2
I
keep on doing
I
sth
I
to do something many times: I don't like to
keep on borrowing money from the bank.
I
Kilkenny's a brilliant player - he just keeps on
scoring goals.
3
I
keep
onl
to continue to talk about something in an
annoying or boring way
269
KEEP
+
about I wish my parents wouldn't keep on
about my exams all the time.

that is annoying or unreasonable: If I didn't
keep on at the children, they'd never get their
homework done.
I
Please don't keep on at me.
I'd tell you if I knew.
I
He had a bad leg but
they still kept on at him to hurry up.
*
SIMILAR TO:
go on at, nag
",,' I
keep out
I
to not go into a place or building: Danger:
Keep out!
I
They boarded up the windows and
put up 'Keep Out' notices.
+
of Please keep out of my office when I'm
not there.
2
I
keep
I
sblsth
lout
I I

I
keep out of@]
to not get involved in a situation: Phil was one
of those children who can't manage to keep out
of trouble.
I
"What's the matter?" I asked. "You
keep out of this," Charlie replied sharply.
*
SIMILAR TO:
stay out of
~tlkeepto~
to stay in one particular area or place: "Keep
to the centre of the track," said Bailey.
I
The
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
KEEP
weather was so bad we had to keep to the
house for the first two days.
,,;+ I
keep to
I~
to do what has been decided in an agreement
or plan, or what is demanded by law:
It
is
vital that they keep to the peace agreement.
I
We are still keeping to our aims of achieving

people: Tom didn't like meetings and village
events and he kept himself to himself.
6 [keepto~
to continue to talk about one particular sub-
ject, instead of starting to talk about others:
"Please try and keep to the subject under dis-
cussion," the chairman said.
keep to the point He s a hopeless teacher.
He can't keep to the point.
*
SIMILAR TO:
stick to
[keepup~ ~
to continue doing something: The doctor
advised me to keep up the treatment for two
weeks.
I
All the way home the kids kept up a
non-stop flow of questions.
I
Any exercise is
good for you, but ideally you should keep it up
regularly.
keep up the good work (=continue to work
hard and well) Our manager s always com-
ing round telling each of us to keep up the
good work.
keep it up (=continue to work hard and
well) He had been revising for nearly five
weeks and felt he couldn't keep it up for

cult to keep up with their younger col-
leagues.
I
"He had enormous energy,"
Deborah said. "I felt I could never keep up
with him."
keep up with the Joneses (=try to have the
same possessions and way of life as other
people, so that they will think you are as
good, rich etc as them) Until she was forty,
Gemma s life consisted of microwaves and
mobile phones and keeping up with the
Joneses.
• orrosrrs: fall behind
5
I
keep
upl
to keep changing the way in which you do
something because the situation you are in
keeps changing
+ with In the car industry, many of the
smaller firms have been unable to keep up
with the pace of change.
keep up with demand (=supply as much of
something as is wanted, especially when
the amount is increasing quickly) It s diffi-
cult to produce these computer games fast
enough to keep up with demand.
keep up Young people sfashions change so

8
I
keep upl
if one process keeps up with another, it
increases at the same speed so that they stay
at the same level
+ with In most African countries, food pro-
duction is not keeping up with population
growth.
I
Salaries have not kept up with
inflation in the last few years.
9
Ikeepupl~ Ikeepls~
to continue to practise a skill or subject that
you learned in the past so that you do not
forget it: I was keen to keep up the French that
I had learned when I worked at the resort.
I
George used to play the piano, but I'm afraid
he hasn't kept it up.
10
Ikeeplst~ l~ke-e-p-up~l~
to look after a building and pay for any work
that needs to be done, so that it stays in good
condition: In the end the family had to sell the
house. They didn't have enough money to keep
it up.
*
SIMILARTO:

key
IsthJB I
key in
l~
to type information into a computer: If you
key your message infirst, I'll show you how to
send it.
I
Most people key in their work them-
selves now.
*
SIMILARTO:
type in, enter
2
I
be keyed up
I
to be very nervous or excited about some-
thing: Travis arrived, keyed up at the thought
of seeing Rosemary again. ,
11",
were all keyed
up and ready to go.
271
KICK
KICK
kicked, kicked, kicking
SEE
kick around
I

q
sth
0
informal
if something is kicking around a
place, it is somewhere in that place but it has
been forgotten about, or not used for a long
time: I found a photograph of his last girl-
friend kicking about among the clothes on the
floor.
I
That book's been kicking around the
house for ages, but now that I want it, it's
disappeared!
*
SIMILARTO:
be knocking around
informal,
be lying around
informal
3
I
kick around/about ~
I
kick around/about
I
informal
to spend time in a place or travelling
around a place, doing whatever you want to
do or doing very little: After university, I

s
game and their next game
tonight.
*
SIMILAR TO:
relax
2
I
kick back ~
I
kick
l~
back
I
AmE
to pay someone part of the money you
earned from a deal because they helped you
to make the deal. This is usually done in a
secret or illegal way: The travel agencies
kicked back part of their commission to cor-
porations who signed contracts with them.
kickback
N
[c.u]
AmE
money that you pay to someone
because they have helped get a larger
amount of money, usually from a secret or
illegal deal, plan etc: Roth has been
charged with collecting more than

missing.
2
I
kick in
I
informal
to start to have an effect or start to
work: For some people it can take several
hours before the effects of the drug kick in.
I
Sales of between 10,000 and 30,000 copies
are needed before profits kick in.
I
The heating
will kick in
if
the temperature falls below a
certain level.
3 ~
Ikickinl
AmE
to join with others in giving money or
help: If you and your neighbors will donate
$100, I'll kick in $300.
I
He doesn't really kick
in and do his share of the housework.
*
SIMILAR TO:
contribute, chip in

kick offl
if a game of football kicks off, the game
starts: The game kicked off an hour late after
heavy rain.
*
SIMILAR TO:
begin, start
kick-off
N
[e]
the time when a game of football starts, or
the first kick: Leeds were the better team
right from kick-off.
2b
I
kick offl
if a team or its players kick off, they start to
play a game: We'll have to hurry if we want to
watch the match - they're kicking off at seven
o'clock.
+
against
England will kick off against
France at 2
0
'clock this afternoon.
3
I
kick offl
BrE informal

informal,
throw out
informal,
boot out
informal
SEE
kick against
kick over '
s
I
kick overl
AmE
if an engine kicks over, it starts working;
It won't kick over, so Iguess we'll have to tow
the car to the garage.
*
SIMILAR TO:
turn over
1
I
kick up a fusslkick up a stink
I
BrE
to comFlain a lot about something so that
people wil know that you are very annoyed
about it: People in the neighbourhood are
kicking up a
fuss
about the noise from the
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.

USUALLY PROGRESSNE
informal, especially
AmE
to make jokes and
behave in a silly way: Don't pay any attention
to him. He
s
just kidding around.
I
Stop kidding
around and get on with your work.
*
SIMILAR TO:
fool around, mess about/around
informal
KILL
killed, killed, killing
1
I
kill
off
I
sth/sbl ~illl
sth/sb
I~
to kill things or people in large numbers or so
that there are none left: There is a danger that
agricultural chemicals will pollute the water
and kill off the wildlife.
I

KIP
[kip
down
I
BrE informal
to sleep on something that is not
273
KIT
a bed, for example on the floor or a chair, or
to sleep at someone else's house: The party
didn't finish till three in the morning, so I
kipped down at lane
s
house.
+
on You have the bed, I'll kip down on the
sofa.
*
SIMILAR TO:
doss down
BrE informal,
bed down
KISS
kiss away
I
kiss away ~
I
kissl~1
away
I

>C
AmE
informal
to try to please someone, espe-
cially in order to get them to do something
for you: Dan is perfectly capable of getting a
promotion without kissing up to the boss.
*
SIMILAR TO:
suck up
informal,
creep (up) to
BrE
KIT
kitted, kitted, kitting
~I
sb/sth
lout
I I
kit out
I
sb/sth
I
USUALLY PASSNE
5rE to provide someone or something with
the clothes or equipment they need for a par-
ticu~ar activity
+
with First you will be kitted out with a
safety helmet and a lamp.

kneel down
I
to move into a position in which your knees
are on the ground and your body is resting
on your knees: She knelt down and put her
arms around the child.
be kneeling down (=be in a position in
which your knees are on the ground and
your body is resting on your knees) The
people in the church were kneeling down,
waiting for the final prayers.
KNIT
knitted
or
knit, knitted
or
kni~ knitting
1
I
knit together
I
sth/sb
I
~ together
I
USUALLY PASSIVE
if two or more people are knit together by
something, they are united by it: Communities
are knit together by laws, religion and custom.
I

around/about
I
informal
to hit or kick someone several times:
Her husband was a big man with a bad temper.
He used to knock her around.
get knockedabout There was one boy who
was always covered in bruises - he got
knocked about at home.
2
I
knock around/about ~
I
knock around/about
I
informal
to spend time somewhere, without
doing anything very serious or important:
I
didn't want to leave the city now. I'd spent
enough time knocking about in the country.
I
After three years knocking around at university,
Sammy still had no idea about a future career.
*
SIMILAR TO:
kick around
informal
3
I

I
knock around/about
Isth]
to spend time in a place or travelling around
a place, doing whatever you want to do or
doing very little: Like Jules, Sarah had
knocked around the world a bit and seen a lot
of places.
*
SIMILAR TO:
kick around
informal,
bum around
informal
I
knock around/about with
I~
BrE
to spend your free time with someone,
because they are your friend or because you
are having a relationship with them: On
Saturdays I knock around with my friends
from school.
I
Moore used to knock around
with a very strange-looking woman.
*
SIMILAR TO:
go around with, hand out with
informol. especially AmE

leave page 281
like/dislike page 282
love & friendship page 283
on the telephone page 284
problems page 285
sleeping & awake page 286
start page 287
stop page 288
TV/radio/lights/machines page 289
weather page 290
to put on
special clothes
for warmth,
protection etc
p
H
R
A
s
A
L
v
E
R
B
A
c
T
v
A

work
to continue until
something
is finished
to continue to
do something
although it is
difficult
when
something
continues in
the normal
way
p
H
R
A
s
A
L
v
E
R
B
A
c
T
v
A
T

••. knock back
.CL
v
A
T
o
R
when you have drunk
~ ~oo
much alcohol
n;~"b~ hl;ln~ over:
"'-~sleep
off .r X
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
279
P
H
R
A
S
A
L
E
R
B
A
C
T
V
A

H
R
A
s
A
L
v
E
R
B
A
c
T
v
A
ways of telling
someone to leave
because they are
annoying you
T
o
R
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
282
P
H
R
A
S
A

c
T
v
A
T
o
R
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
284
p
H
R
A
s
A
x
L
v
when the phone
suddenly
stops working
E
R
B
A
c
T
v
A
T

A
S
A
L
V
E
R
B
A
C
T
V
A
T
o
R
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
287
to start doing some work
, ..- ..get down to
•••get stuck int
•••set about
x:
p
H
R
A
s
A
L

R
T.
o
Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.
to make
something
start working
to make
something
stop
working
289
p
H
R
A
s
A
L
v
E
R
B
A
c
T
v
A
T
o

BrEinformalto prevent something or someone
from making progress or improving: The
delay has knocked work back two years.
I
You've been very ill, and if you
go
to Mick
s
party it will really knock you back.
5
*
SIMILAR TO: set back
3
I
knock ~ back
I
BrE informal to shock or surprise someone:
When my Dad went off with another woman, it
knocked us all back.
*
SIMIlAR TO: shock
4
I
knock
I
sb
I
back ~
BrEInformalto cost you a particular amount of
money, especially a lot of money: A new

I
3
if a vehicle knocks someone down, it hits
them so that they fall to the ground and may
be injured or killed: Michael Hutchence was
knocked down by a taxi as he left the night-
club.
I
As Tracey was getting out of her car, a
motorcycle nearly knocked her down.
4
*
SIMIlAR TO: knock over, run over
"
I
knock down
I
stE]
I
knock
I
sth
I
down
I
to deliberately destroy and remove a building
or a part of a building: We could knock down
this wall and have one large room instead of
two.
I

down
I
informal to persuade someone to reduce the
price of something they are selling you
+
to
She wanted £2,000 for the car, but I
knocked her down to £1,800.
I
knock down [~ ~
sth
I
down
I
to prove or argue that an idea, suggestion etc
is not right, or not worth considering: They
knocked down the proposal on the grounds
that it was not practical.
I
His argument was
completely illogical, and easily knocked down.
knock off
I
knock off ~
I
knock ~
X
informal to reduce a price by a particular
amount: Discount travel agencies may be able
to knock off a few hundred dollars from the

off]
Y
informal to reduce a total by a particular
amount: I'd like to knock a minute offmy run-
ning time.
I
I've been knocking off 200 extra
calories a day but still not losing weight.
*
SIMIlAR TO: take off
I
knock off ~
I
knock
I
sb/sth
l~
AmE informal to defeat a person or team in a
race, game etc: The Bulls had knocked off The
Rockets in the first round, winning 109-34.
I
The new Ohio Representative knocked off his
opponent by only 1,000 votes in the last
election.
*
SIMILAR TO: defeat
I
knock offl
X
informalto stop working because it is time to